Solving Absolute Value Inequalities

This is a method for solving inequalities like

|ax + b| > c,

|ax + b| < c,

|ax + b| c,

or |ax + b| c.

(In all of these, assume that a 6= 0.)

There are many approaches to this; you should choose one and stick to it, to avoid
confusing yourself.
Main Case. Suppose that c is positive. Examples:
|x 3| > 5,

|2x 1| < 10,

|1 + 5x| 7,

or |x + 13| 6.

1. Solve the corresponding equation |ax + b| = c, and mark the two points you get on
a number line.
For instance, if solving the equation gave the numbers 2 and 6, I would draw this
picture:
6

-2

2. If the absolute value expression is on the greater-than (open) side of the >,
shade the two outside intervals.
If I started with |x 2| > 4, Id get this:
6

-2

If the absolute value expression is on the less-than (pointy) side of the >, shade
the inside interval.
If I started with |x 2| < 4, Id get this:
6

-2

3. Mark the endpoints with [ and ] if the inequality had or .

For example, with |x 2| 4, Id get this:
]

-2

Mark the endpoints with ( and ) if the inequality had > or <.
For example, with |x 2| < 4, Id get this:
(
-2

)
6

4. Finally, write the inequalities or intervals for the shaded parts.

For example, with |x 2| 4, Id get this:
[

6<x

x < -2

In interval notation, this would be (, 2] [6, ).

For example, with |x 2| < 4, Id get this:
(
-2

< x <

)
6

In interval notation, this would be (2, 6).

Special Cases. If c = 0 or c < 0, the answer may be a single point, all real numbers,
all real numbers except for a single point, or there may be no solutions. Some of
these are special cases of the situations above.
Ill write down the possibilities for reference, but there are too many cases for you to
memorize them all, so its better to handle these individually. Ill give brief reasons for some
of them.
b
1. |ax + b| > 0: The solution is all real numbers, except for x = . Thus,
a
x<

b
a

b
or x > .
a
!

b
b
, .
In interval form, ,
a
a
2. |ax + b| 0: The solution is all real numbers. You could write this as R (the symbol
for the real numbers), or (, ) in interval form.
This makes sense, because |ax + b| is always greater than or equal to 0, being an absolute
value.
3. |ax + b| > (a negative number): : The solution is all real numbers. You could write
this as R (the symbol for the real numbers), or (, ) in interval form.
Likewise, since |ax + b| is always greater than or equal to 0, it will always be greater
than any negative number.
4. |ax + b| (a negative number): : The solution is all real numbers. You could write
this as R (the symbol for the real numbers), or (, ) in interval form.
The reasoning is the same as in Case 3.
5. |ax + b| < 0: There are no solutions.
Since |ax + b| is always greater than or equal to 0, it cant be less than 0, since then it
would be negative.
b
6. |ax + b| 0: The solution is x = .
a
7. |ax + b| < (a negative number): There are no solutions.
8. |ax + b| (a negative number): There are no solutions.
The reasoning in Cases 7 and 8 is similar to the reasoning in Case 5.

Example.

Solve |x| > 3.

First, solve the helper equation |x| = 3. I get x = 3.

I put 3 and 3 on the number line. Since the absolute value expression is on the
greater-than (open) side of the >, I shade the two outside intervals:

-3

The solution is x < 3 or x > 3.

In interval notation, this is (, 3) (3, ).
Example.

Solve |x 2| < 10.

First, solve the helper equation |x 2| = 10.

|x 2| = 10
x 2 = 10
x 2 = 10
x = 12

x 2 = 10
x = 8

I put 8 and 12 on the number line. Since the absolute value expression is on the
less-than (pointy) side of the <, I shade the inside interval:

-12

The solution is 12 < x < 8.

In interval notation, this is (12, 8).
Example.

Solve |x + 3| 7.

First, solve the helper equation |x + 3| 7.

x+3=7
x=4

|x + 3| = 7
x + 3 = 7

x + 3 = 7
x = 10

I put 10 and 4 on the number line. Since the absolute value expression is on the
less-than (pointy) side of the , I shade the inside interval:

-10

I use square brackets, because of the equals in .

The solution is 10 x 4.
In interval notation, this is [10, 4].
3

Example.

Solve |x 17| < 5.

The absolute value of anything is greater than or equal to 0.

In particular, the absolute value of |x 17| must be greater than or equal to 0, so it
cant be less than 5 that would make it negative!
Hence, there are no solutions.
Example.

Solve |3x 12| > 21.

First, solve the helper equation |3x 12| = 21.

3x 12 = 21
3x = 33
x = 11

|3x 12| = 21
3x 12 = 21

3x 12 = 21
3x = 9
x = 3

I put 3 and 11 on the number line. Since the absolute value expression is on the
greater-than (open) side of the >, I shade the outside intervals:

-3

11

The solution is x < 3 or x > 11.

In interval notation, this is (, 3) (11, ).

c 2012 by Bruce Ikenaga